Assassination of Ibrahim Aqil: Difference between revisions

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On 20 September 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck a building in Haret Hreik in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The strike killed Ibrahim Aqil,^[1][2] a member of Hezbollah's Jihad Council and the leader of the Redwan Force.^[3][4] The strike also lead to the death of 8 people and left 59 others injured.^[5][6]

A day after Hamas launched its 7 October attacks on Israel, Hezbollah^[7] joined the conflict in support of Hamas^[8] by firing on Israeli towns and positions.^[7][9] Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in cross-border military exchanges that have displaced entire communities in Israel and Lebanon.^[10][11]

Earlier on 17 September 2024, just a few hours before the explosions, the Security Cabinet of Israel established a new war objective: the safe return of displaced residents to the north.^[12][13] Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, announced it had thwarted a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior defense official using an explosive device.^[14][15] On the same day and the following one, thousands of handheld pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in simultaneous attacks across Lebanon and Syria.^[16][17][18] According to The New York Times, Israeli intelligence services had manufactured the devices.^[19] The incident was described by Hezbollah's officials as the organization's biggest security breach since the start of the conflict.^[20]

Ibrahim Aqil is a Lebanese militant and senior official in Hezbollah.^[21] He is a member of the Jihad Council, which oversees the military and security operations of the organization. Aqil serves as the head of operations and is considered by some as the de facto Chief of Staff of Hezbollah.^[22][23] He is also believed to be the head of the Redwan Force,^[21] a special unit tasked with capturing Israel's Galilee region.^[24][25]

In the 1980s, he was a key figure in the Islamic Jihad Organization, a terrorist cell operated by Hezbollah and responsible for the 1983 US embassy bombing in Beirut, killing 63 people, and the attacks on the multinational force bases in Beirut that resulted in the deaths of 305 people. During the 1980s, Aqil was responsible for the kidnapping of American and German hostages.^[26] On 10 September 2019, the U.S. Department of State designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.^[27] On 18 April 2023, the Rewards for Justice program offered a reward of up to $7 million for information about him.^[27]

At around 15:45 EEST, a strike targeted a building on Jamous Street in the neighborhood of al-Qaem in the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area known as a Hezbollah stronghold. Initial reports suggested Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's second in command, was one of those who was targeted.^[28]

Initial reports stated that at least three people killed, with 17 injured. Footage of the targeted site shows extensive damage to the building, with the street littered with debris and destroyed vehicles. It was also reported that the IDF confirmed a "targeted strike"; no changes in Home Front Command defensive guidelines were announced.^[29]

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he was "not aware of any prior notification regarding Israeli strikes on Beirut".^[5]

• 2024 Haret Hreik airstrike

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